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Makeda
Supreme Archdomina Makeda has unified the Skorne Empire under her rule, rising during her people’s hour of need as a peerless leader whose vision of their mutual destiny has inspired her soldiers to ever greater efforts. Makeda has vowed to impose order and forge the seeds of a new nation that will rise from the ashes to build an empire that spans the continent. She wields the Talon of Murzoul, an ancient relic of great significance and incredible power and is accompanied by some of the skorne’s greatest heroes of the past, given new life in stone to serve as her inner guard. Any who defy her conviction will fall to the wayside or feel her boots trampling them underfoot. History Makeda was born as the second child of Telkesh of House Balaash and thus the granddaughter of Archdominar Vaactash. Vaactash was a old but powerful warrior that was also skilled in mortitheurgy. Under him Makeda and her elder brother Akkad underwent harsh training that other skorne houses would consider too dangerous for their heirs. During this Makeda proved herself fighting against her elder brother despite their massive age and size difference. In one instance she damaged her brother's ear and after he refused that he was defeated to Vactaash, the elder skorne ordered to remove Akkad's damaged ear and cauterized instead of being repaired.Instruments of War by Larry Correia Years later Vactaash met his end at the tusks of a great beast and was exalted and Telkesh was made head of House Balaash. Makeda became stronger in both martial skill and the arts of mortitheurgy. The Swords of Balaash also contained shards of the sacral stone of Vactaash. During the war with House Muzkaar she led a cohort for the first time. She was expected to capture an objective with a lighter force and two Cyclops savages until Akkad arrived with a much larger force and the larger warbeasts. She was also accompanied her mentor Zabalam. However she was attacked by a much larger force Muzkaar force with several Titans and there was no news of Akkad. Thanks to her tactical acumen and the range advantage provided by her Venator Reivers under Urkesh she not only managed to hold on but inflict heavy losses until Naram, the powerful Tyrant of Muzkaar himself appeared with two more titans. Makeda ordered an charge towards Naram covered by Reivers. Despite the tense battle Balaash forces were outnumbered and were being massacred while Makeda herself was injured and with both her cyclops dead she had no way to transfer her wounds. Naram confident in his victory moved towards Makeda but she used her Mortitheurgy to suddenly resurrect the fallen Skorne of House Balaash who suddenly skewered a surprised Naram from all sides. Makeda pierced Naram with her two swords as the revived Skorne bodies fell, their obligation served. Makeda did not finish Naram and instead kept him alive till exaltation and in return his sons allowed Makeda and Balaash remnants to retreat. When Makeda returned she found that her father had died from an illness and the Skorne believed her to be dead. As her father had not died in honorable combat he had been denied exaltation as well. Makeda realized that Akkad was being advised by the paingiver Abaish and that Telkesh was most likely poisoned as the chirugeons who treated him were executed alongside the servants that served him food and all those who spoke with them. However Makeda did not challenge him due to the Hoskune code. She secretly met with Extoller Haradum who hinted that Extoller Shuruppak was also involved in the conspiracy but their meeting was cut short by bloodrunners sent to assassinate Makeda. While she managed to kill several she was wounded and was only saved due to the intervention of Urkesh and Zabalam who took her back to her loyalists. However the weapons of the bloodrunners were coated with the same poison that killed Telkesh. While normal poison is useless against those skilled in mortitheurgy this was made to unravel bodies, corrupt wills, and break minds. While even the great Telkesh went mad and died in a day Makeda endured for ten days and ten nights, reciting the entire hoskune code without her knowledge while in extreme agony. This caused many to defect to her sides and even Nihilator cultists came to see her and see the path to enlightenment. After recovering from the poison and coming out from her trace-like state she rallied her loyalists into battle but as the war would ultimately weaken her house she decided to end it as quickly as possible. As Akkad was not present in battle she infiltrated the fortress he and the leaders of House Balaash had gathered with the help of a loyal slave who sacrificed himself to distract paingiver guards. In the hall Makeda confronted Akkad and taunted him for a duel. While Akkad managed to damage Makeda the pain was insignificant and Akkad was quickly defeated. Shuruppak who attempted to carry out the exaltation was Akkad was dragged away and thrown out from a window to his death while Abaish was tortured to death. Akkad's name was then removed from records to his cowardice and blasphemy. Archdomina During her time as Archdomina of House Balaash in 594 AR Vinter Raelthorne IV appeared on the fringes of the Skorne society. Vinter had begun to systematically conquer the Skorne houses and soon he was upon Halaak itself. The Siege of Halaak lasted around a year before falling to the forces of Vinter. Despite being outnumbered, Makeda stood steadfast against him, determined to fight to the last. Three times she rallied her army behind her iron will, cutting swaths from his ranks before being forced back. Knowing the foreigner’s death was her only chance to end the siege, Makeda led one final devastating charge of warbeasts and Cataphracts through his line. The two met in the center of battle in an epic clash of blades, the blood they spilled turning the desert’s baked earth to mud. Makeda withstood a rain of lethal blows by calling upon the vitality of her warbeasts. Vinter had never fought an adversary so strong, and he did not yet comprehend Makeda’s link to her warbeasts. During the epic duel that ensued both were were surprised by the skill and the power of their enemies but in the end Vinter stood victorious in front of a disarmed Makeda who had lost all of her warbeasts and her forces were in ruins. However Vinter spared her and offered her a place in his service.Iron Kingdoms Unleashed: Skorne EmpireForces of Hordes: Skorne MK2 Makeda spent the first years of the Conqueror’s reign rebuilding the strength of her house. When he took his expedition in 602 AR to capture Corvis, Makeda stayed in Halaak to coordinate and organize the massive army that was to reinforce his planned drive on Caspia. Vinter had tasked all the house leaders to muster these forces in his absence and to continue working on the great bridge-fortress that would permanently span the Abyss. In the absence of Vinter many dominars plotted to overthrow him and return Halaak to its old ways. The betrayers occupied the skorne capital and targeted Makeda for assassination. Makeda gathered her loyal vassals her and fought her way to her northern stronghold where they sealed the gates. House Balaash and Vinter loyalists fought against impossible odds and managed to hold on till Vinter returned after his defeat in Corvis. Vinter's forces lifted the siege and began the Second Unification which resulted in most betrayers being tortured to death by Morghoul. Vinter rewarded Makeda with the dominion of the western empire and gave her control over the Army of the Western Reaches to conquer Cygnar while he was forced to stay in the Abyssal Fortress. Supreme Archdomina Skorne ranks began to doubt again after Vinter ordered the Skorne to seize the less stratergic Fort Falk to breach the Cygnaran border instead of Eastwall to which the Skorne had made extensive preparations. Asheth Magnus argued against the plan but Makeda despite having doubts herself went ahead and moved forces towards Fort Falk. Just as the preparations for the siege were being carried out a messenger from Vinter ordered her to immediately carry out the attack. However Morghoul arrived after torturing Magnus at the orders of Vinter for going against his plans which only resulted Morghoul realizing that Vinter seeks to weaken both the Skorne and Cygnar to regain the throne. Makeda temporarily gave control of western fortresses to Hexeris and marched her forces to the Abyssal Fortress. She sent her loyal Skorne lords ahead of her to act from inside but Vinter noticed the recent arrivals and was warned by loyalists resulting in Vinter highhandedly killing all of them. When Makeda arrived she was greeted by Vinter from the fortress who the disappeared from the battlements. Defences of the fortress were subdued by Basilisks, Titan Cannoneers and Venators. While the defenders fought fanatically they were quickly eliminated but Vinter was nowhere to be found and the throne room was filled with corpses of Makeda's vassals. Makeda sat on the throne and declared herself Supreme Archdomina of the Skorne Empire and swore to unite the Skorne into a one nation and one army to conquer the world. She decided to march eastwards to retake control of the Skorne Empire from the inevitable uprising that would occur when the news of Vinter's defeat spreads but was stopped by Morghoul. Instead he offered to go alone and take over the Paingiver caste and using it to eliminate dissent to which Makeda gave her approval. Hordes: EvolutionHordes: Metamorphosis Even those uncomfortable with the changes remembered the actions of Morghoul during the Second Unification and his presence allowed Makeda to establish absolute authority over the Skorne Empire. She also showed the willingness to go to any lengths to ensure the Skorne Empire will never again serve the interests of a foreign power. When she returned to the western holdings the situation had turned worse with the Castle of the Keys being attacked by a dragon followed by the Circle Orboros and the Titans suffering from an incurable disease. She questioned Hexeris but did not find any reason for him to have instigated the events. Dominar Rasheth offered to solve the issue of the titans as the breeding stock of the Army of the Western Reaches had been destroyed due to the disease. Rasheth offered to rebuild the breeding stock in return for a percentage of the spoils of war being sent to House Telarr. Makeda agreed but warned Rasheth about the possibility of House Telarr being behind the disease. Later in the same year Hakaar the Destroyer reveals that Ios is undefended as most of their military has been deployed in foreign lands. Further Ancestor Jyvox reveals to Zaal that the Circle Orboros is carrying out a ritual in along the Hawksmire River near Lake Scarleforth. Thus Makeda ordered troops to attack the position calling Hexeris, Zaal ,Xerxis Morghoul and Mordikaar to lead the troops that surrounded the site from four sides . Makeda's army foughtback inor attacks by Gatormen as well as Trollkin with the Skorne burning several Trollkin villages along the way. At the insistence of Zaal the attack was hastened to stop the ritual resulting in unnecessary casualties but the druids retreated through the leylines after completing the ritual. As nothing noticeable happens Hexeris hides their failure and claims that the ritual was stopped. As laborers moved in Hexeris questioned if she was planning to fortify the positions. Makeda enjoying his ignorance of her plans revealed about Hakaar's prophecy and her intention to use the new fortress as a mustering point to invade Ios whose already degraded armies have been further weakened by deployments abroad.Hordes: Domination The Exalted Court In order to demonstrate that the role of supreme archdomina was an extension of ancient skorne traditions and a lasting office in the new empire and that she was no longer the leader of a single house, Makeda ceremonially set aside the swords of Balaash and commanded that the Talon of Murzoul be brought to her. This fearsome artifact is the most ancient weapon of the skorne, connected with Murzoul, the first to call himself archdominar, over four thousand years ago and brought the skorne together in their first great city, Malphas. The sword of Murzoul was even then a relic of great significance and fearsome power, as its blade had been retrieved from Lyossan ruins near the yawning Abyss and surpassed in quality and refinement any the skorne could forge. When the revered Murzoul received exaltation upon his death, his sacral stone was placed in the pommel of his sword to empower it with his ancestral spirit. Over time the weapon was passed down to the greatest archdominars of Malphas and drank deeply of the blood of lesser skorne houses. Then the extollers reviewed the great sacral stones of House Balaash and selected the greatest heroes of the past to stand beside her and serve as her inner guard. They are tireless and infinitely loyal warriors and protectors sent in pairs to accompany her in battle. It is said that some of these exalted spoke to the extollers for the first time when given the opportunity to join this court, showing an unusual interest in current events.Hordes:Gargantuans She then marched her forces against the elves of Ios who are the descendants of Lyoss the ancient enemy of the Skorne. She marched her forces to the Twilight Gate which was nearly impenetrable but unlike the Gate of Mists has no standing army to reinforce it as the Iosans did not expect it to be attacked. Makeda led her forces up the treacherous slopes near Mount Shyleth Breen, driving them using paingivers and employing mortitheurgy to push them beyond exhaustion. Despite a few deaths the massive army arrived largely intact and included legions of heavily armored Cataphracts; dozens of warbeasts and four mammoths, each armed with a battery of cannons of earthshaking power. At the same time a secondary skorne army led by Dominar Rasheth and Lord Arbiter Hexeris would harass the Gate of Mists while Tyrant Xerxis led small force to test the heavily fortified northeastern bastion of the Aeryth Dawnguard. The lesser skorne armies attacked border garrisons to keep them engaged. She was accompanied by Lord Assassin Morghoul who tortured Iosan prisoners to extract intelligence. From them Makeda learns that there is a watchtower with a commanding view of the Twilight Gate and the valley that can be used to position artillery to bombard the Twilight Gate. She sends Morghoul and bloodrunners to take over the fortress at night resulting in those within the fortress being massacred in a surprise attack. At dawn she led the Skorne army to attack the gate, personally controlling two mammoths and four Titan Cannoneers. Her army was vastly outranged by the Iosans who employed artillery that blasted her army apart with bursts of energy while others launched metallic bolts that penetrated the thickest armor. The fortress was a series of staggered battlements, each one rising higher than the last and upon them were riflemen who picked off lightly armored units while archers launched explosive-tipped arrows. While the Skorne lost almost a quarter of the army in a few hours they fired back with explosive shells of titan cannoners and mammoths while reivers and flayer cannons returned fire at those firing at them from above. Then an energy blast from the largest of the cannons on the towers fired at Morghoul's position injuring a mammoth which fell onto the main Iosan gun battery setting of the explosive shells in its own cannon as well as releasing energy in the charged mechanisms of the Iosan guns, creating an enormous, brilliant ball of orange and blue fire. While the fortress was not destroyed a large chunk of stone fell from the tower that contained the cannon revealing a large crack. Makeda ordered all mammoths and titans to simultaneously open fire at the weakened area blasting it open over a dozen blasts. A section of wall hundreds of feet across was destroyed, opening a hole large enough for her army to march through and she gave the order for the bulk of her army that remained beyond the range Iosan artillery to charge. The iosans directed all of their remaining guns towards her killing one mammoth with armor-piercing projectiles She ordered her remaining mammoth and the titans to charge through the breach. She sees Tyrant Rhadeim and his ferox riders are near with the reserves further behind and decides to charge into the breach. Within the breach she was met with an open area with a distance of around 100 yards to the interior wall. Archers from the wall fired upon the Cataphracts that accompanied Makeda but suppressive fire from reivers stopped the iosans from picking them off. Between her and the inner wall was a large contingent of houseguard armed with shields and poleaxes and towering myrmidons, each brandishing two curved blades. The myrmidons were easily destroyed by the gigantic fists of the mammoth and the concentrated firepower titans while the housegaud were massacred by the charge of cataphracts. Makeda then used her mortitheurgy to create explosions of dark magical energy to wipe of the archers on the inner wall and to aid the passage of Skorne troops flowing out of the breach. As the Skorne began to advance on the inner wall, the gates of the wall opened revealing a colossal myrmidon with a large houseguard contingent behind it. The hyperion emitted a strange, buzzing whine as swirling blue energy began to coalesce in the open space above the myrmidon’s head. Then the weapon discharged, but instead of an explosion, all the sounds of the battlefield were suddenly swallowed, leaving only an unnatural silence followed by a brilliant wash of energy that erupted from the myrmidon to engulf the Cataphracts who all but vanished leaving only layers of ash left like shadows where they had stood. With more houseguard flowing in the stunned Skorne were forced to retreat when the iosans charged led by a female who carried an enormous blade in both hands. Makeda watched her cut down two Cataphracts and knock aside two more with a burst of arcane force and realized that she is the warcaster that is controlling the Iosan colossal. Makeda compelled the mammoth to charge the hyperion while she effortless cut down the Iosans charging her, their life force flowing through the Talon of Murzoul to fuel her arcane power and blasted lines of halberdiers with magical blasts. Channeling her mortitheurgical power to her blade as well as of her exalted companions together they reaped the life force from every Iosan killed and shunted into the mammoth which hammered the colossal storm of magic-fuel strikes from its fists and tusks. In turn the hyperion's blades slashed the mammoth, opening grievous wounds. Makeda and the pair of exalted guardians slaughtered their way towards the Iosan warcaster who accepted her challenge to Makeda's satisfaction. While the iosan attacked with a series of lightning-fast thrusts and slashes Makeda deflected them with disappointing and ease and the Iosan began to tire allowing Makeda to kick her down. Makeda allowed her to stand up and the Iosan realized that she was surrounded by a ring of cataphract cetrati and the Iosans that came to her aid were killed of by makeda's exalted guardians. Makeda asked the her name in Iosan to which she introduced herself as Scyir Nyla Ferryl and asked Makeda if she was the one that led the "savages". Makeda introduced herself as the Supreme Archdomina Makeda of the Skorne Empire, surprising Nyla before charging to deal the final mortal blow. Seeing the death of the leader and the destruction of their warmachines the remaining Iosans turned to retreat but were hunted down by Praetorians and Venators under Rhadeim. She was then joined by Morghoul and the Skorne leaders to begin their invasion into the land of the elves. References Category:Hordes Category:Skorne Empire Category:Skorne Category:Warlock